Will rise to give the sufferer rest,
And on his saints with pleasure smile.
6 Thy word, O Lord, tho often try'd,
Void of deceit shall yet appear,
Not silver seven times purify'd

From dross and mixture shines so clear. 7 The Lord preserves his chosen race

From men, who dare the church to 'assault,
When sinners, rising high in place,
The vilest men to power exalt.

PSALM 12. C. M.

Corruption of manners.

1 HELP, Lord, for men of virtue fail,
Religion loses ground;

The sons of violence prevail,
And treacheries abound.

2 Their oaths and promises they break,
But act the flatterer's part,
With fair deceitful lips they speak,
And with a double heart.

3 If we reprove some hateful lie,
How does their anger move,
Are not our lips our own, they cry,
And who shall us reprove?

4 Thus saith the Lord," now will I rise,
And make oppressors flee;

I shall appear to their surprise,
And set my servants free."

5 Thy word, O God, the test endures,
Not silver seven times try'd,

So much our faith and hope allures,
Or shines so purify'd.

6 Thou shalt preserve and keep the just
Secure and free from fault,

D

When sinners, rais'd to power and trust,

The vilest men exalt.

PSALM 13. L. M. ́*
Complaint under temptation.

1 HOW long, eternal God of grace,
Wilt thow conceal thy lovely face?
Is not the hour of mercy set,

And will my God my soul forget?
2 How long, O Lord, with sorrowing heart,
Shall I complain and thou depart?
How long shall sin my soul assault,
And every foe his head exalt?

3 Consider, Lord, how Satan tries
To blind mine intellect* with lies;
My soul enlighten, keep my breath,
Lest I should sleep the sleep of death,
4 Almighty God, make no delay,
Why should the boasting tempter say,
"His faith in God begins to fail,
His soul is mov'd, and I prevail."
5 Thy mercy, Lord, is all my trust,
Thy powerful hand upholds the just;
My grateful heart and cheerful voice,
In thy salvation shall rejoice.

6 Jesus, my Savior and my King,

My 'enraptur'd soul shall sweetly sing,
He saves the 'opprest, the sick he heals,
And kindly with the 'afflicted deals.

PSALM 13. C. M.

Prayer and temptation.

1 AM I forgotten, Lord, by thee, And banish'd from thy face?

* Intellect, the understanding

Shall I no more thy glory see,
No more enjoy thy grace?
2 How long my wisest counsels fail
To cheer my sorrowing soul;
My fears increase, my foes prevail,
And rage without control.

3 See how the prince of darkness tries All his malicious arts;

He spreads a mist around mine
And throws his fiery darts.

eyes,

4 Be thou my sun, and thou my shield, My soul in safety keep;

Mine eyes enlighten, lest I yield
To death's eternal sleep.

5 How would the tempter boast aloud, Should I become his prey;

Behold the sons of hell grow proud,
To see thy long delay.

6 At thy rebuke they stand aloof,*
And Satan hides his head;

He knows the power of thy reproof,
And hears thy voice with dread.

7 Be glad, my soul, rejoice and sing,
In God for ever trust;

Thy bounteous hands, eternal King,
Shall well reward the just.

PSALM 14. Part 1. C. M.

By nature all men are sinners.

1 FOOLS in their heart believe and say,
The hope of heaven is vain;
There is no God, who hears us pray,
Nor hell of endless pain.

* Aloof, at a distance.

2 The works their impious hands have done, Declare their faith untrue;

Virtue and truth are found in none,
But mischief all pursue.

3 God from his high and holy place,
Look'd down on things below,

To find the man who sought his grace,
Or did his justice know.

4 The 'omniscient Judge and Witness saw
By nature none were good,
By practice all before his law
Condemn'd and guilty stood.

5 The sons of men have gone astray,
And left the path of God,
To wander in the crooked way
The 'apostate angels trod.

6 The seeds of sin (that bitter root)
In every heart are found;
Nor can we hope for heavenly fruit
Till grace subdue the ground.

PSALM 14. Part 2. C. M.

The folly of persecutors.

1 HAVE they no knowledge of their fall,
Nor feel an inward dread,

Who ne'er on God, their Maker, call,
But eat his saints as bread?

2 Yes-tho you wash your bloody hands,
And heroes seem to 'appear;

Yet God among his people stands,
And great must be your fear.

3 To shame the poor, to slay the just,
Has been your long employ;

But God, the Rock in whom we trust,
Will soon his foes destroy.

4 O that salvation, long decreed, From Zion now might spring,

When church and state, from bondage freed,
Shall triumph in their King.

5 The Lord, who hears the mourner's voice,
Will kindly cheer the sad;
The saints in Jesus shall rejoice,
And all the church be glad.

PSALM 15. C. M.

The character of a citizen of Zion.

1 LORD, who shall in thine house abide,
And there his days fulfil?

Or who, my God, with thee reside
On yon celestial hill?

2 The man that walks in pious ways,
And works with righteous hands,
That on the promise firmly stays,
And follows the commands.

3 He speaks with undissembling heart,
And makes his meaning strong,

Nor will from conscious truth depart,
To do his brother wrong.

4 He keeps his tongue from slanderous lies
Against his neighbor's name,

And when abroad the scandal flies
He ne'er takes up the same.

5 The sinner great and sinner vile
Are in his eyes abhorr❜d;

But much he 'approves with generous smile
The men that fear the Lord.

6 The oath profane his lips forbear,
His soul a falsehood loaths;
But if against himself he swear,
He well performs his oaths.